NeNe Leakes knows 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' producers would never say how much money Kim Zolciak is getting for her comeback, but NeNe thinks it's gotta be less than her booty. We got NeNe at LAX Thursday where she told us there's a reason she should get a bigger check. It's funny ... Kim had her own reasons for thinking she's a bigger draw. As we previously reported ... negotiations are underway for both NeNe and Kim to return as full-time cast members on season 10. It already seems like it's gonna be worth it.
Steve Largent did it ... so did Heath Shuler and Jack Kemp -- and now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is calling on MORE pro athletes to run for political office. The NBA legend recently appeared on "SI Now" and made the case for Dwyane Wade to run for mayor of Chicago ... claiming he's smart and tuned into the city and could really make a difference. So, when we saw KAJ in NYC Monday -- he told us it shouldn't stop with Wade -- saying people like Kobe Bryant should also consider politics ... because athletes have the popularity to be great leaders.
Well, that didn't take long ... a huge fight broke out on the FIRST day "Love & Hip Hop L.A." started shooting -- and TMZ has video which shows Ray J was in the middle of the mess. The brawl went down between Ray J's GF Princess Love and singer Teairra Mari inside a nightclub. Princess goes wild when she sees Teairra standing with Ray J. Sources close to production tell us Princess demanded to know why Teairra was with her man ... and also claimed she saw photos of them together. We're told Teairra simply said, "I don't care" ... and then it was on ... with Princess throwing the first punch. Our sources say landing Ray J for the show was a huge score ... he had originally turned down offers to join the cast.
Colin Kaepernick's plight in the NFL has seeped into the upper echelons of hip-hop ... 'cause Jay-Z dedicated 1 of his most racially charged songs to the QB during a live show. Jay was performing his new hit, "The Story of O.J.," Friday night in NYC, when he gave a shout out to Kaep and said the performance was for him ... and the late activist Dick Gregory, who died last month. He also said ... "I want to dedicate this song to anyone that was held back and you overcame whatever it was." Kaepernick is still without a job on an NFL team, and his perceived banishment (by some) from the NFL for refusing to stand for the National Anthem has been a divisive issue for many ... including Steph Curry, Dave Chappelle, Kid Rock and other celebs.
'RHOA' production sources tell us Kim will shoot for season 10, although we're told it'll be a limited role. The show wanted her back as a full-time cast member, but obligations to her other show, "Don't Be Tardy," only allowed her to sign for a part-time gig. We're told NeNe Leakes hasn't signed on yet, though she's made it clear that IF she does return she should get more dough than Kim. Here's the way it could work ... since Kim will only be part-time, if producers can convince NeNe to be a full-fledged cast member, they would pay her considerably more than Kim ... problem solved.